


Delicacy

by 4oh3dotzip



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artists, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, M/M, Mutual Pining, also sap gets here eventually (like chapter 4), dream is simultaneously very aware but also very unaware of his feelings, feelings through flowers!!!, god i hate tagging these things ugh, i promise this isnt weird, inconsistent upload schedule, uhhhh anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25578355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4oh3dotzip/pseuds/4oh3dotzip
Summary: “That’ll be $37.74, sir.” Soft fingers brushed against his own as he was handed a $50 bill. He moved to give him back change, yet the man waved it off and gingerly picked up the flowers off the counter.“Keep the change,” he said, and he turned with a smile, exiting the shop and stepping back into the howling winds and weeping sky. Dream would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him already. Green eyes stared at the glass doors hoping to see that smile again some day.--AU Where Dream runs a flower shop/nursery, and George decides to hang around.(Strictly SFW. Light language use. No angst. As trigger-free as possible, but please let me know if you're triggered by any content in this, I will tag it.)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 174





	1. One

The glass front of his quaint little flower shop displayed the gloomy outside. Rain pittered about on the sodden concrete of the sidewalk and running down the glass doors that Dream dreads cleaning after the storm. His eyes watched the clouds somehow grow even darker, and the rain come down heavier. He felt a bit of sorrow for the bonsai trees outside he painstakingly shaped and grew over the years, watching helplessly as some of their leaves were torn by the sheer force of the rain and wind.

The constant white noise of the rain outside paired with the quiet lofi/ambient music he typically played started to make him drowsy. So, naturally, he set his head down on the checking counter. Due to the rain there wouldn't be many customers today, anyway. A few minutes later, and he's asleep.

He didn't know how long he was asleep for, or what time it was, but he was up immediately as he heard the bell over the entrance door chime.

"Hello," Dream said, sleep evident in his voice. However, one look at the man who entered and he quickly overcame his sleepiness. "Oh my gosh, you're soaked! Come here, come here, I've got a few spare towels just under..."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" The man's voice was distinctly accented. His lips turned up into a smile of gratitude, simply waving off the towelette he offered. He weaved around the tables and shelves chock full of flowers and seeds and soil anyway, and brushed his hands against the light green counter. Dream couldn't help but notice how small and dainty his hands were. "I hopefully shouldn't be long, I wouldn't want to ruin anything."

"Alright, then." He put the towelette back under the counter gingerly. "Then, what can I get for you, sir?" He said in his best customer service voice, the smile he wore maybe a bit genuine.

"Right! Uh, I heard you were good at picking messages for certain people. Do you think you could do something that means 'I'm glad you're my friend?'" The man brought one of his hands to scratch a bit under his jaw. Dream denies ever staring at his jawline for as long as he did. And he would certainly never mention how he, briefly, made eye contact and noticed just how rich this man’s eyes were.

“Of course!” Dream pushed against the counter with his hands, effectively sliding off his seat, and his shoes hit the ground with a satisfying, soft _clack._ As he started gathering yellows and pinks and whites, of habit and unconscious knowledge of every flower he picked, he decided to make small talk. “So how is this friend? They must’ve done something cool for some flowers.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much, really,” the man stayed at the front, watching Dream’s every move with a piqued interest. “I’ve just realized I haven’t really been appreciating him enough. He knows a thing or two about flowers, or whatever, and I assumed he would appreciate them.”

“That’s really considerate of you, I’m sure he’ll appreciate them!” Dream said. He snipped one last flower, and had begun to wrap them together with a bit of twine. “You don’t seem to know very much of what these mean, then. Would you like to learn about them?” He drifted back behind the counter as he gently fidgeted with a few stems.

The man seemed to think a little. “Maybe later,” he said after a small pause. “I’m sure I’ll be back sometime soon, anyway,” he breathed.

Dream barked out a laugh at his comment and opened the register beside him. “That’ll be $37.74, sir.” Soft fingers brushed against his own as he was handed a $50 bill. He moved to give him back change, yet the man waved it off and gingerly picked up the flowers off the counter.

“Keep the change,” he said, and he turned with a smile, exiting the shop and stepping back into the howling winds and weeping sky. Dream would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him already. Green eyes stared at the glass doors hoping to see that smile again some day.

-

Despite the rain, a few more people came in for their own little things. And soon, the rain let up, and the sun had set. As the night grew later, Dream had begun to close shop. Sweeping the floors and spritzing the flower’s soil as a late night snack for them. Just as he was about the head behind the counter for the keys, the front doors swung open and the overhead bell jingled with more force than necessary. Needless to say, Dream practically jumped out of his skin by not only the noise, but the man who made it.

“Oh, hey! Welcome back!” Dream said as smoothly as he could (He had to admit, it wasn’t that smooth). He fumbled with his keys as the man from earlier today smiled sweetly and easily swerved around the tables.

“Hi,” he said happily, with a chirp in his voice. “I was wondering if you could do something that says...” He trailed off, extending the length of his last word as he looked around, “I really, really want to be your friend?”

Dream couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I almost never get a request for new friendships. I can do that, don’t worry.” Normally, he would have kicked someone out right before closing, but this guy… _Damn_ , he’s cute! He couldn’t resist. He set the keys down on the counter and grabbed his trimmers. A couple of buttercups and a few blue dahlias and some gardenias paired with a pale yellow ribbon to tie them together.

“Ouh, those are pretty.” The man commented as Dream had finished arranging the stems. He looked over and saw that his expression was one of wonder. Dream considered that maybe, just maybe, he could give these flowers to him on the house.

But he had to make a living, unfortunately. That didn’t mean he couldn’t underprice, though. “That’d be $24.30, please!”

“24 dollars? Wow.” He fumbled with his wallet for a few moments and fished out a 20 dollar bill with a 5 dollar bill right behind it.

“There’s a discount on buttercups,” Dream lied. Even if there was a discount, the gardenias alone would have made the bouquet over $50. _This is silly,_ he thought.

As Dream took the bills from the man’s hand, their fingertips brushed once again. “I don’t need the 70 cents,” he said. “Thank you!” He then turned around, and for the second time today, left the shop. Dream couldn’t help but stare after him again, yearning for those eyes and that smile.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long. Just moments after he left, he strutted back in, and went, “Hey! I met you earlier today and I got these flowers for you.” He grinned as he walked up to the counter. “I was hoping we could be friends, or something?” Dream’s thoughts lingered on that “ _or something,_ ” and he didn’t know why. He smiled anyway.

“ _Oh,_ ” He said dumbly. Then, “I’d love to be your friend. Thank you for the flowers! They’re so pretty.” He laughed softly as he played dumb.

“Great! That’s great,” The man nervously wiped his palms on his jeans. “Uh,” he stated, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“I’d like that. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Dream waved as he turned back one more time, and once he was sure he was gone, he grabbed his keys and locked the doors. Before going up to his home, he plucked out a small pink daisy, and set it in the middle of the bouquet softly. Switching out the lights on his way to the “employees only” door, he tapped the on button at the base of the stairwell to his home, illuminating the hallway, and closed the door behind himself.

Dream sighed as he moved up the stairs. This day was simultaneously the least and most productive day he’s had since starting the shop three years ago. But he couldn’t complain. As he hopped up the last steps and into his small living room, he filled water into his empty vase on the kitchen counter, and set the flowers into the body of it. He then moved across the room, toward a small window sofa. 

He only meant to sit and look at the flowers for a bit more, and yet, his eyes felt heavy. So heavy, in fact, that he closed them, only momentarily. And soon, he was finally resting. After today, it was what he needed.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shhh we arent going to talk about how this took almost two months

_God, how could I have been so dumb?_ Dream was currently in yesterday’s clothes, very tired, and very achy. _I can’t believe I slept on the couch._ He yawned softly, running his fingers through his lightly tangled hair as he opened up shop, switching on the little LED sign blinking “open” in soft white letters. A perk of having an independently-owned business is that your hours are whatever the hell you want them to, and Dream is very grateful for that for so many reasons. The reason today just happened to be “I overslept on my couch and now I believe I have chronic back pain.”

He yawned again, sitting behind the counter and fiddling with whatever happened to be on the desk. _‘See you tomorrow,’ he said…_ He played with his spool of twine. Dream didn’t really care for any music just yet. Waking up was the first step of the day, and he hasn’t even completed it yet.

Well, he wouldn’t have, anyway, if the man from yesterday didn’t just waltz in with the kindest smile of all mankind.

Dream sat up, repressed yet another yawn, and softly smiled back. “Hey! I’m glad you’re back,” he said, and immediately regretted his word choice. Did that sound too clingy? Did his inflection sound the way he intended it to?

“Hi! I’m sorry I came so late, I lost track of time,” he laughed, and it seems like Dream’s worrying fell on his own deaf ears. A quiet sigh of relief filled the air.

“That’s alright. I might have overslept myself.”

A comfortable silence encompassed the two of them, and for the next minute or so, the man browsed the flowers and potted succulents for individual sale. Dream had taken it upon himself to watch his every move in the least creepy way possible. He’d noticed a messenger bag at the man’s hip.

"Hey," said Dream, eventually. "I never actually got your name!" The man froze as he was touching a tiger lily's petals, and he burst into laughter.

"Oh, my God! You're right, I apologize!" He smiled as he made his way to the counter, and held out his hand. "My name is George."

Dream smiled back, taking his hand. "Clay," he responded. George seemed to be shocked, for a moment.

"Clay? But your shop's name…" It was Dream's turn to laugh this time. He covered his mouth just a bit and his eyes shone in amusement.

" _Dream's Blooms_ is just something my mom came up with. You're welcome to call me Dream, if you'd like." George had proceeded to pull his hand away from Dream's. He'd deny any feelings of missing the warmth.

"I think I will! It's nice to know your name, Dream." He smiled at the use of his name, and a wave of warmth crashed into his body. He had to laugh softly at all the extra emotion, and luckily, it didn't seem that George had thought it out of place. “Oh!” George spoke suddenly. “That’s right! Do you think there are flowers that could give a warm welcome?”

“Of course! There’s always something for everything.” Dream laughed at George’s endearing question. “What, is it for me again?” He joked. As sweet as the gesture is, it’s also a waste of flowers. Vases can only hold so many flowers.

George smiled at the joke, relaxing a bit. “No, actually, it’s for my parent’s bakery. I thought a splash of colour would help the environment, you know?” And it was true, the flowers George had given Dream seemed to make his apartment just a little bit more happy, more welcoming.

“Oh, I know!” He wandered around with his trimmers a little bit to get an idea of what he wanted for the theme. Something warm, something inviting, something that wouldn’t clash with the smell of freshly baked pastries… “ _Ah,_ ” He spoke under his breath, “here.” Dream snipped away a couple of peach coloured roses from a small bush he had planted about a year back. Because of this, the blooms were still a bit small, but he thought it added to the charm. He then moved across the room, to the planter opposite, and cut away a good amount of pink hydrangeas and white carnations.

“Oh! Hold these for a second.” Dream transferred the stems he grasped gently into George’s hands. “The lilies are in the back, I need to grab a couple.” His hands had cupped George’s for a brief moment, just to feel their warmth one more time. He, regrettably, let go and went behind the counter again, entering a door to his left. Inside was the “greenhouse,” he liked to call it. It wasn’t very much of a greenhouse than what looked like the potato farm from _The Martian._ It still worked, at least. There were many breeds and species of flower that were either only sprouting, or had been struggling to produce the right colour Dream had wanted in his shop.

Of these flowers, were the lilies he needed. They were more orange than yellow, but he thought they’d still look good with the arrangement. He knelt down and picked just a few of those lilies from the soil, dusted his jeans, and walked back out to the main room.

“So,” he started once George was back in view. “Your parents, they run a bakery?” He took the flowers in his hands back, intentionally making a point to _not_ brush his fingers against the other’s. George nodded. “You... bake?”

“Sometimes,” George replied. “Only when they need me for big orders.” Dream hummed in interest as he finished the arrangement. “I prefer drawing. Painting. You know, all that.” He’d patted the bag strapped across his body. Dream assumed some art stuff, or whatever, was in there. He’d never been interested in art at all until now. But he won’t talk about that.

“That’s really cool!” He rang up the bouquet nice and easy. “Okay, uh, $32.40.” He mentally cringed. He was handed two twenties anyway. “Oh, thank you.”

“You say that like you think I’d underpay,” George smiled a bit. Dream broke eye contact.

“Well, you know,” he didn’t. Dream didn’t either. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously. He took the printed receipt and etched his number into the paper with a spare pen. “Here, so you don’t have to wait for the next bouquet. You should head back. I bet your parents are expecting you.”

“Oh, yeah! Thanks. I’ll… See you soon? Sometime?” He took the flowers once more and his eyes shined something hopeful.

“Yeah! And, oh God, one moment, I forgot something!” He skipped into the greenhouse room and clipped a variegated tulip, a creme upstar, peach and pink, with his nail. Not the best way to clip cleanly, but at least it’s done. He bounced back to the counter, and breathed, holding the flower out to George. “For you. On the house.”

“Thank you! How cute,” George stroked one of the petals. If Dream didn’t know any better, he would have expected him to start cooing at it. He found it adorable.

“Okay! Go, go! People are expecting you!” Dream shooed him off with a smile.

George laughed. “Okay! I’m going!”

“Text me!” The bell jingled.

“ _Okay!_ ” The door closed.

Dream had spent the rest of the day just short of a euphoric stupor. He had given him his number. _He_ had given _George_ his _number!_ God, it’s like a dream. He closed early. He knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. He flicked on his kitchen light and looked at the flowers he was given the night before. Dream took a breath, grabbed the vase, and moved to his room. The shelves above his bed were oddly empty all the time anyway. There’s always a spot for George.

 _At least,_ Dream thinks, _I’ll be able to sleep well tonight._

**Author's Note:**

> [carrd](https://403.carrd.co/) <3


End file.
